Physicists investigate structural properties of spider webs
Monday, February 8, 2010 - 12:21
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- "Although the orb web of a spider is a lightweight structure, it seems to be a highly optimized structure, presumably as a result of evolution from the Jurassic period or earlier," explain physicists Yuko Aoyananagi and Ko Okumura, who are investigating the structural properties of spider webs. "It seems to resist different loads such as wind and insect impact efficiently and can catch prey even if some threads are broken."